Bob Rae named Liberal interim leader

Bob Rae has been chosen as the Liberal party’s interim leader, Liberal MP Denis Coderre tweeted Wednesday. Mr. Rae, a Toronto MP and former NDP Ontario premier, is expected to lead the party for the next year and a half.

Thirty-four Liberal MPs and 45 Liberal senators decided behind closed doors Wednesday who would lead them in Parliament, rebuild the party’s base and tackle its fundraising problems.

Immediately after being selected, Rae told a news conference the Liberals have to “work more effectively as a party in order to achieve our objectives.”

He added: “I look forward to working with the party and the caucus and the wider Canadian public over the next few months ahead.

“I have no illusions at all . . . this job is to help the party rebuild. It’s not one I can accomplish by myself. It’s one that will take a lot of co-operation with a great many other Canadians and with a great many other people in the party.”

Mr. Rae and Montreal MP Marc Garneau were both vying for the job.

Mr. Garneau, a former astronaut, was the first to declare his intention to run following the Liberals’ devastating electoral result.

He told reporters before the caucus meeting he was pleased for democracy’s sake that two people were contesting the job.

He also suggested he might throw his hat in the ring for the permanent job, if the caucus chose Mr. Rae.

“That’s something that I might consider, but at the moment that is not my intention,” Mr. Garneau said.

Mr. Rae wrote caucus members last week telling them he would “accept” the interim position — and pledged not to run for the top job — if the permanent leadership race were held 18 to 24 months from now.

The party’s constitution stipulated a leadership race had to take place by the end of October.

“It’s a chance to serve the party at this stage in my life and I am looking forward to it if the party gives me that responsibility,” Mr. Rae told reporters before the meeting.

“I think there will also be an element of fun to it, because I do think it’s a chance to show some life and some spark and good humour in what’s been a difficult situation after the election,” Mr. Rae said.

Some Liberals told Postmedia News they were concerned Rae would use the interim job to mount a permanent leadership bid — if a new executive changed the rules that currently bar the interim leader from running for the top job.

Mr. Rae told reporters he had pledged not to run for the permanent leadership in writing.

“This is a job that needs to be done now … this is just my chance to serve,” Mr. Rae said. “I think there will be a broader chance for renewal in the search for a new leader in a year and a half (or) two years, and I think it’s important for the party to look very much to a new generation of leadership. And I’m sure that will happen.”

Liberal MP John McCallum had told reporters Wednesday he planned to vote for Rae because he could bring the party back from a difficult and even dangerous situation.

The party needs a strong performer in the House, someone who can speak in soundbites to the media, has good political instincts who can compete with NDP leader Jack Layton and Prime Minister Stephen Harper and someone who can rebuild the Liberal brand, Mr. McCallum said.

“I will be loyal to whoever wins, but I do think Bob Rae is the one for the hour,” he said.

“We’ve gone to 19% of the vote, I don’t think that’s a floor. I think there is a risk that if are not smart, if we don’t act well, we could go even lower,” Mr. McCallum said. “So in that sense it is dangerous; therefore we have to put our strongest person on the ice.”

Liberal party president Alfred Apps said the interim leader had only once — in the case of Michael Ignatieff — been appointed permanent leader and he believed any interim leader would abide by the rules barring a run at the permanent post.

“This is an honourable party. I think everyone involved in this are honourable people,” Mr. Apps said.
In a letter to caucus members Tuesday, Mr. Apps informed them that the party’s national board had unanimously agreed to postpone the leadership to sometime between Nov. 1, 2012 and Feb. 28, 2013 and party delegates would be asked to vote on that time frame at a special convention in June.